Games on after players unionize

A week after making good on their threat to cancel games over a labor dispute,
Arena Football League officials have reinstated their season after AFL players agreed
to bargain collectively with the league.

Representing the AFL players will be the Arena Football League Players Organizing
Committee, which will act as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative
for about 600 AFL players. The AFL recognized the group as the players' bargaining
agent Wednesday, clearing the way for the AFL to open the season in mid-April after
a three-month labor battle with its players.

A week earlier, AFL owners canceled the season after players were unable to win
enough support to have the Teamsters act as their collective-bargaining representative.
That forced league officials to follow through on promises made a month ago to cancel
the season should the players fail to agree to collective bargaining and continue
with an antitrust lawsuit filed against AFL owners Feb. 3.

Attorneys for AFL players claim that the league is trying to force the players
into a union, a move that would weaken their legal rights regarding the antitrust
lawsuit, which claims owners conspired to limit salaries and free agency. The antitrust
lawsuit is expected to proceed despite the players' agreement with the AFL to bargain
collectively. AFL officials say the lawsuit will not affect the start of the season.

"The Teamsters have indicated that they are no longer interested, and we hear
that the players are looking to find other representation," said Jeffrey Kessler,
who represents the AFL players in their antitrust lawsuit.

Reinstatement of the season comes at a critical time for the AFL as it begins
to raise its profile after years of operating in anonymity. Hanging in the balance
of a lost season were a new television contract with TNN and a deal with SFX Sports
Group to sell badly needed national sponsorships. The league also is in the second
year of a three-year option held by the NFL to buy up to 49 percent of the AFL.
Franchise values also have increased substantially in the past year, with AFL expansion
fees now at $7 million. Because of the league's growth, Kessler said, AFL owners
were never serious about losing an entire season.

"The owners did not want to cancel the season," he said. "They just want to force
the players to form a union. There was no cancellation plan being put into place
and nothing was done by the AFL."

Arena League officials did not return calls for comment but said in a statement
that they will immediately begin to negotiate an interim collective-bargaining agreement
for the 2000 season.

Even though the AFL season will begin on time, the league may lose one of its
expansion teams for the 2000 season. League officials said the Detroit Fury may
bow out of the league for one year because of the inability to sell season tickets
for its inaugural season. Should that occur, the AFL would have to create a new
17-team schedule and lose a major market for at least one year.